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Slender Tone Vs Contour

Electrical muscle stimulator (EMS) ab belts such as Slender Tone and Contour work by targeting certain abdominal muscles and creating contractions similar to exercise. These contractions help to tone that part of the body targeted. Following packaging instructions, both EMS products are FDA cleared for use according to their websites, but the FDA emphasizes that while muscle-stimulating devices may tone and strengthen abdominal muscles, no EMS has been cleared for creating hard abs.

  1. Costs

    • The costs for both the Slender Tone and Contour ab belt systems, including diet plans, are just about the same; Slender Tone's system costs $199.99 and Contour's system is $199.80 as of August 2011. The Contour system offers more benefits, providing four AAA batteries, a one-year warranty, travel and storage clutch, and an instructional DVD guide in addition to the standard items provided in each system: belt, muscle stimulator, gel pad electrodes, as well as diet and exercise plans.

    Slender Tone Diet and Exercise

    • Both Slender Tone and Contour recommend you follow exercise and diet plans provided, to aid results of ab belt use. Slender Tone's plan consists of three 30-minute weekly exercise sessions and five weekly toning sessions using your Slender Tone belt and stimulator for the plan's six-week period. The Slender Tone diet consists of reducing meal size (specifically carb and red meat intake, along with alcohol, junk food snacks and sugar) as well as increasing small meal consumption (eat healthy every 3 to 4 hours to increase basal metabolic rates). You can access the diet and exercise plan without making a purchase.

    Contour Diet and Exercise

    • Contour's recommended exercise plan expands on Slender Tone's reasonably by including at least two cardio exercise days of training each week in addition to the prescribed three weekly dumbbell workout sessions. Contour emphasizes the need to increase muscle mass through diet and weight-training to help shed an extra 60 calories a day. Contour's diet plan is built on the same premises as Slender Tone's foundation: eat six small meals per day of healthy food choices, eliminating high-calorie foods. Calories are kept to 1,400 per day for women and 1,800 per day for men.

    Replacement Pads

    • Both plans rely on a system of electrical stimulating currents to prompt body nerves to contract when wearing the ab belt. These electrodes, attached with gel pads to the belt and body, must be replaced between 30 to 45 days, requiring an additional cost of $15.99 for one set of Slender Tone pads and $14.95 for one set of Contour gel pads. Contour offers consumers the ability to sign up for the Fitness for Free Program at a one-time cost of $29.95 plus $7.95 shipping and handling, which nets you a Leah Garcia DVD and free four-pack gel pad deliveries every month (plus $7.95 for shipping and handling).

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